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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · safe · deal · hand · cell · row · rest · bark

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — a break
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stock — shares
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com